A quick and cursory web search for "soil testing in South Africa" produced a large list, many of which may not be what you want. A quick and cursory search for "Agricultural schools in South Africa" produced this "Formal agricultural training is available at five different levels, i.e. at primary schools, secondary schools, colleges of agriculture, technikons and universities." as well as a fairly long list of such schools. Some places to start to find out about the soil pH and nutrient levels. These simple soil tests, 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. may also help.

Gamebird, You've had lots of helpful comments today, and I am sure more are yet to come. My answer on beds being oriented north-south or east-west is going to make me sound wishy-washy, but I think either one could work equally well. Most of my neighbors that have veggie gardens run their beds from north to south, but a fellow gardener who lives a couple of miles from me runs his east-west. I have some beds, about 65% of them, that run north-south, and the remaining 35% run east-west. Our veggie garden is on a serious slope, so the contouring of the garden beds was a very deliberate decision to slow down the runoff of water and also to minimize erosion. The classic recommendation in most parts of the country is that you should run your beds from north to south. I think the intent is that your rows get a more equal distribution of light that way. What is more important than the orientation of the beds, though, is the selection of where to plant your veggies. The general rule is to put taller crops in the northernmost rows of the garden so they won't shade your other crops. Here in Oklahoma, where the summers are very long and insanely hot, I deliberately use okra, corn, amaranth and other tall plantings (like pole beans and other trellised crops) to shade crops that benefit from a little shade, like sweet and hot peppers. I like your idea of improving the soil first, then building the beds, and lining the pathways....I was gently trying to lead you in that direction, without sounding like your bossy sister! LOL Torrential rainfall IS a huge problem here when it occurs. Just today we had 3" of rain in less than 4 hours, and you should see the erosion that has gone on today as the water rushes downhill to the creeks that will carry it to the Red River. (It is not at all one of our heaviest rainfalls....two years ago we had 9.25" in one day, and almost 8" of that fell in 4 hours.) So, check out how the water drains before you start doing too much, and the info will be very helpful in your planning. Even though you may not be putting in that water feature for a couple of years, plan it out now so you can take advantage of a naturally low-lying area or can plan to site your water feature so it helps absorb excess rainfall and runoff. We have several water features, some manmade and some natural, and they attract wildlife. Since you have a young child, though, it probably is wise to wait until she's a little older. One thing to remember as you plan your landscape is that the soil on even a small plot of land (and yours is not small by any means) can vary greatly. Even though we have mostly clay, we do have one band of very deep, sandy soil (which I love, love, love), so check your soil in various places to be sure you know what you have. When you do a soil test, the advice is the same. You dig up soil from several locations and mix it together prior to the soil test, so the results will give you an overall average for the whole area. Regarding Randy's comment about shrubs, I'll just say that his comments are right on. Most people plant shrubs too close to their homes and the shrubs eventually get too large, become a problem and have to be removed. You can avoid this through a very careful selection of dwarf shrubs AND by being sure to plant them further away from the house....say 4' to 5' at the closest, not 1' to 2' or 3'. Be sure you understand the shrub's MATURE height and plan accordingly. As Randy stated, I am a big advocate of firescaping....which is landscaping in a way that will help prevent your home from burning during a wildfire. Keeping plants that burn easily further away from the house is an important part of firescaping. We have always had wildfires in this part of the country, and we always will. Some years they are dreadfully bad, and other years they are not. It is wise to design your landscape in a way that will help preserve your home if the worst possible thing....a raging wildfire....occurs. I never worried about wildfire that much until the 2005-2006 wildfire season, which I think was the worst one in recent Oklahoma history. During that year, our very young and very small volunteer fire dept. had over 240 calls (most years prior to that we had 40 to 50 calls per year), many of which were large, raging wildfires. It changed the way I do a lot of things, and I am now very careful about planting anything close to the house if that plant could help a fire climb up onto the house. It's just one more thing to think about, but an important one. Finally, I know you are eager to do your landscaping, but go slow and make sure you understand just how hard it is for plants to get through our long, hot summers. When we say that, it is because we know from experience that summer's heat here can be VERY cruel and very hard on plants. In your part of the state, you also have to plan for the recurring sleet and ice storms that can cruelly destroy gorgeous trees in a matter of hours. (So, stay away from weeping trees, weak-wooded trees and delicate trees that can't hold a huge load of ice.) Understand, too, that Oklahoma's climate is one of wild swings and unpredictable changes. It can, literally, be 60 or 70 or 80 degrees, sunny and clear in the morning and then an Artic cold front can come out of Canada in a matter of hours, dropping the temperatures 30 degrees or more, and bringing cold rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow or a mix of them. In the summer, rain can be scarce and temperatures brutal. Plants have to be TOUGH to survive here, so decide in advance how much (or how little) pampering you're prepared to give your plants, and plan accordingly. It is so much fun reading your plans and imagining how it all will work out. I hope you'll keep us all posted on your progress. Dawn

Lots of good advice above. Here is my 2 cents for dealing with what many consider to be the second worst tree (after walnuts) to have in a spot where you want to garden. Norway mables are on the invasives list here in Illinois. Our village no longer plants them as parkway trees because they create too many volunteers that crowd out better trees, such as our native Burr Oaks. Ultimately you should get rid of those trees, because they are always going to be a huge problem. I suggest that you do it with a long range plan. First, get some vines growing up the spite fence between you and your neighbor. In due course, you can add a trellis or pergola for them to grow on to cut off the neighbors' view. When that is in place, take down the trees. But be careful what vines you plant because a lot of them are very agressive. Search in the forum on "vines for shade" for ideas on what to plant and what not to plant. Long range, climbing hydrangea will be a very good choice. However, that vine will seem to do nothing for about 3 years while it establishes its roots, after which it will climb slowing for another couple of years before it finally takes off. Be sure to attach some wires or cord to the fence for it to climb on, because its arial roots won't be able to attach to the wood fence. In the meantime, if you really have sun there from 7 to noon, you have good conditions for planting one or more "understory" trees. Cornus mas (a very easily grown dogwood that is one of the first trees to bloom in spring and that can be cut for winter forcing) is moderately priced and grows fast to about 20 feet. It can be easily trained as a hedge, and will do well in full sun after the maples come down. While you are waiting for all of this to grow up, thin out the mables. A good tree pruner can do this to create more mass on your neighbor's side while giving you lots more sun on your side. Down below, get your ground covers started, being sure to pick plants that will continue to do well after the maples come down. Any kind of hosta will grow in the sun you describe, although if they don't receive afternoon shade from the plantings between you and the spite fence, they will need to be replaced when the maples come down. Remember that the more water and food you give to hostas, the more delectible they become to slugs. Check out the hosta forum for tips on best selections. Then look for a neighbor who is surfeiting in hostas and will agree to supply you with what you need in return for help dividing them. Indeed, your best bet for all of the plantings you need except trees, is to seek out a local gardening mentor (probably an older person who is beginning to have some mobility problems) who would be willing to give you all of the advice and divisions you need in exchange for a smile, a chat and some help with the work. Ferns are not a great idea because they won't be able to take the sun once the maples are gone. Also, they need a lot of water and will have trouble competing with maple roots. Once the mables are gone, if you spot will have full morning sun followed by shade from afternoon sun, you will have a spot where you can grow a huge variety of plants.

full sun is anything around 8 hours or more.. forget about shade as an issue.. its a very bright area.. and that is often good enough ... i am sorry.. but the codes are all so confusing ... lol ... but it doesnt matter... JUST DO IT... then.. next spring.. you move things around .. or even fall ... dont get all caught up in some retentive world.. and try to plan everything out.. for all time.. no real gardener will tell you thats important ... things die.. others we remove.. and we move things around ... thats part of the fun ... frankly.. all gardening is.. is a reason for adults to go play int he dirt.. so just go for it ... in the mean time... i would put all the pots in bright shade ... its easier to keep them moist ... and the media wont heat up ... no plant likes hot roots ... finally.. just looking at the pots.. they seem too close .. i would put them at least a foot more apart ... but that begs the question of what kind of bed you want ... do you want a formal planting.. where each specimen stands apart .. or do you favor more of a country cottage look where everything is all mixed together on some level.. define your goal.. and the plan will suddenly emerge ... and you dont mention how you are going to prepare the bed.. if tilling.. go double size... so that the other half.. can lay fallow until next year .. no real reason to have to drag that huge machine back again ... i suspect you will want more later.. lol .. just do it.. talk about it.. but dont get all wired up on a perfect PLAN ... in my world.. gardens arent planned.. they evolve ... have fun ... ken ps: nice of you to ask.. but dont give the neighbors the impression they really have any say in what you do.. on YOUR PROPERTY ... ITS GOOD TO BE FRIENDLY... but we dont want them coming back at some point and suggesting they dont approve .. eh??